A Fighter Divided
by Twilight Sheep
Summary: Ever wanted to know the background of the Freedom Fighters? Here is a collection of oneshots explaining each fighter's reason for joining. Next: Longshot. After all, silence is golden.
1. Smellerbee: Unwanted Flower

Ever wanted to know the origins of the Freedom Fighters? Well, here's just some oneshots based on our Freedom Fighters. First one up: Smellerbee. I may do Longshot next but then again...

* * *

Unwanted Flower

Smellerbee had two things that set her apart from her fellow Freedom Fighters. One, she was a girl. Despite most people's thoughts about her, she was indeed a young girl. Although the headband, her war paint and her clothing made her look like a young man.

The second thing was, she was the only Freedom Fighter who hadn't been directly affected by the Fire Nation unlike her cohorts Jet and Longshot.

In fact, she lived in a peaceful and happy village hidden by rocky mountains with sharp edges. Like a perfect utopia.

Most of the Freedom Fighters would've loved to live in her paradise-like village and at first, not even Jet could understand why Smellerbee would give up that sense of security and peace to come and join the Freedom Fighters.

The answer that she gave him? It was simple and concise.

She was unwanted from the start.

--

There was a huge celebration in the village that warm, sunny day. A rather tall, burly man was standing proudly on a small wooden platform with two young boys with him.

"Hee-Soon, congratulations! You'll have another healthy, strong boy!" some of the villagers shouted.

Hee-Soon nodded and looked up to the sky with pride.

"Hear that, Kotaro and Jiro? You'll have another brother!" Hee-Soon patted their heads.

"Yeah!" chirped Jiro, the second oldest.

"We finally have someone to play Ostrich Horse in The Middle!" said Kotaro, the oldest, excitingly.

Hee-Soon gave Kotaro a hearty laugh.

"I'm afraid your brother won't be able to play for a while."

"Aww," pouted both Jiro and Kotaro.

While people chatted, ate and were merry, a small woman came up to the platform quickly and tapped Hee-Soon on the shoulder.

Hee-Soon could barely contain it.

"Has Sang given birth to my son?"

The woman beckoned Hee-Soon to bend his knees as she whispered in his ear. Meanwhile, people gathered around and wondered what she was saying.

"Sang is waiting for you," she moved out of the way as Hee-Soon made his way to where his wife was. People started to murmer and talk quietly.

Hee-Soon walked through the door, took a left in the corridor and there was his wife, holding a small bundle in green and brown cloth. He looked at the bundle then at Sang.

"Hee-Soon...please, it's a beautiful baby girl," Sang knew why Hee-Soon was in here and was worried.

"Sang...I wanted a third son. Having three sons is good luck. This celebration was to honor my family for a third son!" He banged his fist on the wall.

Sang looked at her baby.

"Hee-Soon...I can't determine whether I give birth to a boy or girl. Look, isn't she lovely?" Sang explained, but to no avail.

"Wait until the village hears this...I'll be a laughing stock for years!" he ranted.

"Hee-Soon...will you at least help me name her?" Sang pulled back the cloth covering the baby's head.

Hee-Soon huffed and grunted.

"Well, she'll be an obediant girl and will have to make up for not being a boy," Hee-Soon said gruffly.

Sang frowned sadly and sighed, staring at her baby's face, eyes closed.

"I always liked the name Hana. Isn't it a pretty name, Hee-Soon?" Sang asked.

Hee-Soon exhaled sharply and nodded.

"Yeah. Sure."

He left without a sound and left Sang with her baby. Sang cuddled her even more.

"Hana."

--

"Hana! Give me back my shirt!" yelled an angry thirteen year old Jiro, chasing an eleven year old around the room.

"I want it!" Hana shouted back, gripping onto the brown shirt.

"You can't wear it! Dad got it for me, not you!" Jiro yellled back to Hana.

"Too bad!" Hana ran to her room and barricaded it. Hana heard Jiro pounding on her door.

"Give it back!"

"No!"

It was silent and Hana smiled triumphantly. She switched her shirt with Jiro's brown shirt and sat down on her floor. She then heard heavier footsteps. Kotaro's.

"...Hana?" Kotaro's voice asked.

"What?" she asked.

"Come out here," ordered the fifteen year old.

Hana huffed. Her father favored Kotaro so much, he practically made him man of the house. Well, besides her father of course.

Hana stepped outside and sunk her head and looked at her feet, trying to play innocent.

"Hana, it won't work on me. Now, give Jiro's shirt back."

"But...I never get anything new. All I have to wear is your smelly hand-me-down shirts and pants. Do you even smell your shirts?" she said, sticking her tongue out.

Kotaro inhaled slowly and looked around. He laid his hand on her shoulder and said,

"Fine. Keep it. Whatever. I'll go out into town and get Jiro a new one. But don't think you're off easy. I'm telling Dad."

Hana was in utter shock. Last thing Hee-Soon needed was her stealing Jiro's new shirt.

"Aww, c'mon Kotaro!" she whined, but Kotaro left Hana by herself.

_I hate this. Being treated as a nobody...the only nice thing I have is...that dress. It's too girly, _Hana thought but then felt a wave of shame. That 'girly dress' belonged to her dear mother Sang, and knew her mother would want her to wear it one day.

"I miss you, Mom," she spoke quietly to herself. She snapped out of her reverie and toughened up. She clenched her fists.

Hana went to the small dresser and opened the third drawer. There, neatly folded and clean, was the pink, brown and green dress her mother had given to her. She took it out and hung it infront of her.

"Huh. Not so bad, but I'm not wearing it. Jiro might as well wear it, heh," Hana snickered and tried to fold it back into her drawer, but it was a bit wrinkly.

"Hana!" yelled the one voice Hana did not want to hear. Hee-Soon.

She walked out of her room, and came into the living room where Jiro, Kotaro and Hee-Soon were sitting. Jiro had a smug look on his face, Kotaro was looking away from her and Hee-Soon had a frown on his rugged face. She knew that Kotaro had snitched on her.

"Hana, sit down," Hee-Soon commanded, although not in his usual harsh tone.

She sat down, and she saw Jiro eye the shirt she was wearing. His shirt.

Hee-Soon closed his eyes and spoke sternly,

"Kotaro brought to my attention that the shirt I bought for Jiro was taken by you. Now, Kotaro said he will buy Jiro another shirt, but you will still be punished. You have plenty of clothes-,"

Hana interrupted Hee-Soon and asked angrily,

"I don't have new clothes! I have Kotaro and Jiro's hand-me-downs and a stinkin' dress! Can't you just let me have something new?"

Hee-Soon did not strike her, slap her or hit her in any way. Jiro looked at him as if he was expecting Hana to be punished. Hee-Soon shook his head.

"You're lucky to have clothes. There are people, people who's lives have been affected by war, and they don't have clothes. Just the ones on their backs. Take for granted you have hand-me-downs."

Hana paid no heed.

"Why can't I have something new? Or...or do I have to be a stupid boy just to get something nice, huh?" Hana didn't realize what she said and Hee-Soon's eyes opened immediately.

"...Yes, Hana. It's custom. As much as you loathe it..." he said, almost like a whisper.

Hana bit her lip and gritted her teeth.

"Loathe it? Of course I loathe it!" She stood up and stomped loudly all the way to her room and there was a big _SLAM! _from the door.

Jiro asked,

"Are all girls like that?"

Kotaro shrugged.

"Probably just Hana."

--

_Mom, I hate it here. Dad treats me like my opinion doesn't matter and Jiro makes it worse. Maybe it'd be better if I was born a guy. I'd get new clothes, Jiro wouldn't pick on me and Dad...Dad wouldn't have to lecture me all the time._

Hana felt hot tears stream down her face and gulped. She couldn't cry. She couldn't. She turned around and saw her reflection in the small mirror in her room. It showed her, wearing a brown shirt and green, baggy pants. Her hair was frizzy and her almond colored eyes were mostly hidden by her hair. She really did look like a guy. Anyone who didn't know she was a girl could easily mistake her for a boy.

She slightly grinned. She liked the look. This is what she should've been. A boy.

--

That night, Hana tiptoed into Kotaro's room, which was located right across from hers. She knew Kotaro kept a headband that was given to him from Hee-Soon on his tenth birthday. She'd always liked it and wanted it for her own. She held her breath; Kotaro had excellent hearing and even asleep, he could wake up to a pin drop. It was dark except for the moonlight through his window, enough light for Hana.

_I think he keeps it in one of his boxes...I think. I'll just steal it and he'll never hear-_

_Creak_

Hana froze up, a squeaky floor tile.

"Hnn...Yes Mizu, I would like to go out..."

Hana sniggered lightly. He was hilarious in his sleep!

She continued on, and grabbed a box off the floor. She popped the top and felt inside. No headband. She placed it down and grabbed another. She felt the inside. Soft, clothlike...this was it! The headband!

Hana titpoed quickly back to her room and collapsed on the floor. She put it on, and looked in her mirror. The moonlight hit her so it illuminated her face, the headband covering her eyes and made them look smaller. If she could find some face paint, she wanted to put streaks under her eyes to make herself look tougher and sneakier.

_I like it. I'll show Dad that girls can be just as good, even better. Mom will be so proud of me and Jiro won't make fun of me anymore. Maybe even Kotaro won't ever snitch on me ever again._

_I'm not going to be an unwanted flower anymore._


	2. Longshot: Silence is Golden

Hi! It's me again, Sheep :) I am so glad for all the encouraging reviews from the first oneshot on Smellerbee. She is awesome.

Anyway, as promised, here is Longshot's turn. You will cry. Seriously, you'll be Niagra Falls when you're done and need forty thousand tissues.

Jet'll probably be next. Should I do the other Freedom Fighters like Sneers and The Duke? Let me know, I would love to hear what you guys would have to say.

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Silence is Golden

Longshot was unique. He was gifted with archery and was clever. Another reason why he was unique was he was the only Freedom Fighter who didn't speak at all. Longshot wasn't born a mute, or had a disease in which his throat became incapable of making any noise.

He just didn't talk. Not a single word at all. He used his eyes, facial expressions and hand gestures to "talk". It was like playing a game of charades just to figure out what he was trying to say. The only person who could pass off as his translator was Smellerbee. Even Jet sometimes took a while to figure out what he was "saying".

He didn't want to be a burden to his fellow cohorts, but he had his reasons.

_Silence is golden. It's the key to a painless death. _That quote was what Longshot was taught when he was younger.

Too bad that same quote caused him to lose his parents, his will to speak and most of all: his prized bow and arrows.

--

"Katashi!" yelled a woman with her brown-gray hair in a neat bun.

Katashi was throwing rocks in the pond when he heard his mother call. He dropped them and ran to his mother.

"Yes, Mother?" he asked respectfully.

She smiled, early signs of wrinkles crossed her face.

"Your father and I have a surprise for you," she said, leading him into the small house that his father built. It was a good size, not too big or small and had a pond in the backyard. Katashi's own pond.

Katashi's mother led him into the main room, a very plain living room that was part dining room. She pulled out a blindfold and put it infront of Katashi's eyes.

"Mother, what are you doing?" he asked, curious why his mother was blinding him.

"It's a surprise, dear! Juki!" she called for Katashi's father, who he could hear coming through the door.

"So...how's the birthday boy?" Juki said with a big grin.

Katashi tried to take off his blindfold to see his father but to no avail. His mother had it on real tight. All heard for a couple minutes was shuffling of feet, and then he heard Juki carrying something because it hit the wall.

"Can I see?" asked the ten year old, eager to see his present.

"Now Katashi," his mother raised a finger, "your father and I saved a lot of money for this. Please take care of it well."

Juki untied the blindfold as it fell to the ground, revealing eyes that were astonished.

"It's...it's..." he was speechless with joy.

Juki and Katashi's mother grinned at each other and then faced the hyperventilating Katashi.

Katashi ran to his parents and hugged them with the biggest hug he ever did.

"I love it! I promise to keep it in perfect shape! You won't regret it!" Katashi cried for joy and took another glance at his birthday present.

His own bow and and a quiver filled with arrows. The bow was beautifully made from a strong wood and the arrows were crafted perfectly.

"Told you he'd like it more than the parrot-monkey," whispered Juki. Katashi's mother raised a brow.

"The bow and arrows were my idea, Juki," she placed her hand on her hip.

Juki laughed nervously.

"Right, Kita."

--

"Hey! Katashi! Stop shooting arrows in my watermelons!" yelled an elderly man in front of his watermelon cart.

Katashi was shooting arrows in the watermelons, and with each bulls-eye, his skill improved. It had been almost four years since he had gotten his bow and arrows as a birthday present. Over that time, he started to learn how to make handmade arrows, although not as good as the original.

"I'm getting better, no? Ya!" he yelled, as he shot another arrow, missing the watermelon merchant by a foot.

"Katashi! I'll tell your parents!"

He gulped and ran off the roof and landed on his feet. He raised his head, checking his surroundings.

"Katashi? Is that you?" asked a familiar voice.

Katashi turned around. He frowned. It was his father.

"Father, I can explain...I'm getting better and better! See?" he shot an arrow and it got stuck to a small piece of wood, a perfect bulls-eye.

Juki grinned.

"I see. However...you're not being cautious."

Katashi looked confused.

"Cautious?" he asked.

Juki placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Professional archers are swift and nimble, never making a sound. I admit...you are good, but you have one flaw," Juki explained.

"What is it?" Katashi asked.

"You are too noisy. If you were in the real deal, a Fire Nation soldier would barbeque you to a crisp. Archers must be silent."

Katashi didn't understand completely. Juki noticed his befuddled look.

"Here, let me show you. See that bird?" Juki pointed to a small bird on top of a roof.

"Yes?"

Juki whispered,

"Watch closely."

He creeped near the bird, stopping whenever the bird twitched. He continued to a good range and aimed the arrow at the bird. A soft pluck could be barely heard from the bow and the arrow sailed to the bird, killing it right on the spot.

Katashi was amazed.

Juki gave Katashi back his bow and quiver of arrows.

"Silence is golden. It's the key to a painless death," he explained and left him there, going to pick up the dead bird.

Katashi looked at his bow for a long time and muttered,

"Silence is golden."

--

His arrows burned when it hit the wall of fire. Screams could be heard from everywhere, people collapsing and dropping like flies, and children were left alone, crying for their mothers.

Katashi bit his lip. He had to stop the small army from attacking any further into his village. Most importantly, he had to find his mother and father. He ran, not looking behind him as the Fire Nation army advanced bit by bit. The stench of hate, eradication and death was billowing up in the air like dark smoke clouds. Smoke limited Katashi's view as he searched for his parents.

"Kaaa...Katashiiiii!"

Katashi heard the faint yell as he tried to come closer and closer. Inadvertantly, he tripped over something- or somebody- and let go of his bow. He got up, but his bow was gone. He tried to search for it, but it was futile. By now, it was either burning or it was lost for good. He bit his lip in frustration. He at least still had his quiver.

"Kaaaaaaatashi! My son!" yelled Juki.

He couldn't utter a word, a phrase, nothing. He just saw flames and people running here and there. He was knocked down by a person and fell to the bloody and debris covered ground, cutting his arm as he fell.

_Rip!_

Katashi felt his back. Something was wrong.

No quiver.

"Qui...ver," he said weakly, the smoke crawling up his nostrils and mouth. It was near the wall of fire and Katashi was willing his quiver to not catch fire.

"Katashi! Katashi!" Juki and Kita cried out.

The quiver was kicked into the hungry flames by accident of some panicking person. Katashi felt his eyes well up as his quiver burned, his first quiver. He got angrier and lifted himself off the ground and tried to stand up completely.

It was gone completely.

"...tashi! Ka-," yelled Kita, and Katashi heard no more from her.

_What should I do? Is Mother...no! No!_

Katashi sprinted, running on the last bits of energy he had left, pushing everyone or anything out of his way. He could hear more shouts, screams and shrieks and saw Fire Nation soldiers show no mercy. He ran on, trying to remember where his mother's voice was.

"Katashi! Katashi!" yelled Juki.

Katashi was in a predicament. To his left, there were two Fire Nation soldiers, surveying the village and looking for run away people and survivors. To the right of him, Juki was yelling for his son. If Katashi yelled back, the two Fire Nation soldiers would kill him. He couldn't utter anything/

"My son!"

Katashi dropped to his knees and looked down in shame. His own father was looking for him and all he was doing was being a coward and avoiding the two Fire Nation soldiers. He ran to a small hole and squeezed in there, observing the pain and mass killings from his small shelter, wiping his eyes and trying to not breathe in the smoke.

He rememebered, unfortunately, the quote his father used months ago, before the Fire Nation attacked their village.

_Silence is golden. It's the key to a painless death._

Sadly, his father was right.


End file.
